"Not my mother ?" Aditya whispered. "What do you meet she is not my mother ?" Aditya said looking between Balram and Maheen.
"If she isn't my mother then who is ?"
"Your mother is no more Aditya. She died.. giving birth to you." Maheen said looking at him tenderly.
"Your mother was my sister, our sister, Gayatri." Balram said wiping the single tear that rolled down his cheek. "She was your father's first wife, but never his queen." He said.
Aditya looked at Maheen for confused.
"Gayatri and Vidyut were in love but our father forced Vidyut to marry both his daughters to make sure he had power over him, he used his own daughters as bait." He said looking at the three Suryavanshi kids who had been punched in the face with the family secrets.
"Since Mandira and Vidyut's wedding was announced, there was no going back on it and father manipulated Vidyut, used his love for Gayatri as a bargaining chip and ruined three lives. Vidyut married Gayatri in secret and then Mandira as he was going to and got his brides home. But as a Raghuvanshi (one who follows the principles of Lord Ram) he couldn't defy the rules set, not in public at least so Gayatri had to be a secret, the most important part of Vidyut's life was a secret."
"Your father was a man in love, devoted to her, like Meera to lord Krishna, he built her a separate palace away from the public eye where the two spent time together, a place, a home which was just theirs. Soon Gayatri fell pregnant with you and happiness knew no bounds, you were going to be a token of their love. But shortly Gayatri was brought back to this palace as Vidyut had to go to Magadh for father's work, call it twisted fate or misfortune that Gayatri went into labour a month early, as she gave birth to you she breathed her last, my sister died, alone, without the presence of the man who had promised to hold her through life and death, she .. my baby died.." Balram said as he broke down.
"Oh.." It was all Aditya could say. In a matter of minute he was orphaned.
"What.. what about Dev Bhaisa and me mamu sa ? Who is our-."
"I am your mother." Mandira screamed. "How dare you ask such a question Mohini, how .. how can-."
"Yes she is your mother, just Dev and yours." Maheen said.
"Oh stop it. I am as much Aditya's mother as I am Dev's or Mohini's. Don't try to poison my kids against me." She spat venomously. "Yashoda wasn't Krishna's biological mother, she was his mother nonetheless. Don't you dare try to -."
"Oh Stop. Don't even compare yourself to Yashoda. You Mandira are a monster." Balram snapped. "You didn't spare your own sister how would you spare her child."
"What do you mean mammu sa ?" Dev asked.
"Aditya please son trust me I had no hand in this, in fact I didn't even know until a few days ago please you have to trust -."
"Get to the point." Aditya cut Balram off.
"Mandira had started to give Gayatri medicines which made Gayatri's blood thin and when she was sure that the medication had done their work she injected Gayatri with snake venom, a similar one she used to kill Maheen. That put Gayatri into early labour and the medicine along with the venom didn't allow Gayatri to heal naturally, it stopped her from clotting after giving birth to you, she bled and bled and died after every drop of blood was out of her body." Balram sobbed.
Aditya felt like the ground beneath his feet had been snatched away, everything was a lie, he was m orphan, he had no one.
"This man is lying, Aditya I am your mother how can you-."
"He isn't lying Aditya." Maheen interjected. "There is someone who can confirm."
The very moment the door of the court room opened and Dai maa walked in.
"Dai maa is here to confirm what Balram Shashtri said Aditya, Dai maa was Gayatri Maa's best friend, she was with her all along and she was the one who saved you from Rani maa's attempts to kill you the same day you were born."
"I was at the purani haveli when the word reached that Gayatri had started to feel the pain, I rushed, I rushed so I could be by her side but when I reached the palace, silence is all that was left. Mandira Didi had managed to get rid of Gayatri and next it was you. I knew it, knew it that I lost Gayatri, we lost Gayatri and it was Mandira didi who had done it, she had made Gayatri's life since the time the two stepped into the palace, one as the queen and the other as Vidyut Bhaiji's wife."
Dai maa looked at Mandira and a chill ran past her spine.
"Mandira didi tortured Gayatri, she bullied her own sister at every chance she could get, she stooped so low that she started rumours about Gayatri and Vidyut Bhaiji, called Gayatri the Kings Keep. For months Gayatri was subjected to questions and taunts and jibs, when the king heard about this, he was furious, he decided to move out with Gayatri to the old Haveli, he built the sheesh mahal for her, a piece of heaven which was just theirs and the timing was perfect, Gayatri fell pregnant with you. Mandira didi tried hard to stir trouble for Gayatri and Bhaiji but the two were each others shields, but when Gayatri moved back, I knew she would be ... I ... we lost Gayatri, but I couldn't let Mandira didi take away the last bit of Gayatri away from us, so throwing grief away I went to find you, and thankfully I did." Dai maa said walking towards Aditya.
"Mandira didi was holding a pillow above your face, lord shiva saved you that day Aditya making me the means and here we are today." She said stroking Aditya's face affectionately. "Mandira didi told me you were safe as long as I was not in her site of vision and she sent me away from you to the purani haveli."
"Enough of this." Mohini screamed. "Maa tell them this is all a lie, tell them you never did any of that, Aditya Bhaisa is our own blood, he is my brother and you his mother tell them-."
"Aditya is your brother Mohini, your blood, and even though he has my blood in him too, I'm not his mother." Mandira said.
"I think.. I'm .. I going to be sic-." Mohini couldn't even complete her sentence before she soiled the floor with vomit.
"Mangal." Aditya said and the room went silent. "Take Mohini to her room, stay with her till one of us comes to take care of her."
"Ji Bhaisa." Mangal said and took Mohini out of the court room.
"Aditya beta are you okay ?" Balram asked. Worry laced his voice.
"Dai maa you should move back into the palace, we need you here." Aditya said. "We can ask someone to get your belongings from the .. the old Haveli and I'm sure Maheen can help you find a room that you find comfort in."
"Of course." Maheen said with a small smile.
"Bhaisa please." Dev said in desperation.
"What ?" Aditya asked looking at Dev.
Dev looked at Maheen, pleading her to probe Aditya.
"Adi you, please say something. Don't act like everything is okay."
"Bhaisa everyone who had wronged the royal family must be punished accordingly be it mama sa, me, you, maheen or queen mother Mandira." Dev said referring to Mandira by her title.
"Beta, say something." Balram Shashtri said.
"Everyone should retire to their respective rooms, everyone. Mama sa and .. and Rani maa you shall be under arrest in your rooms until the council decides on the punishment suitable for your crimes." Aditya said looking at the floor.
"Dev please make sure the necessary is done and ... and come to the study after please."
Aditya looked up and his eyes instantly went to Mandira who was looking at him, and for the first time he couldn't see a mother in her, or maybe the illusion had finally broken.
He walked out of the court, a lot of questions ran through his mind.
How could he not know !
Maheen was right, it was so evident.
He remembered Mandira correcting him every time he called Rani Maa just Maa, but fir dev and Mohini it was always maa.
He never understood why his room was the farthest one, while Mandira had made a separate section for her, Mohini and Dev.
He never understood that why Mandira never came to the old Haveli and refused to send Dev or Mohini there either.
He never understood why dai maa who loved her so much never came to the palace before.
He never understood why his father was the most liveliest and dotting person when he was in the old Haveli.
He never understood a lot of things until the ugly truth about his parents past was brought in front of him.
Until everything he believed in turned out to be a lie.
Aditya entered his bedroom, palms sweating and heaving. He walked into his study and closed the door.
'He was an orphan !'
'His mother was not his mother. The woman whom he had loved, still loved had infact killed the woman who gave birth to him.'
'He was all alone.'
'His family was an illusion.'
A million thoughts ran through his head, Aditya clutched his hair in a fist and let out a roar.
He walked towards the table and upturned it in anger.
Aditya fell on his knees and a single tear rolled down his cheek.
What should he do now ? Be a king or be a son to Mandira or be a son to Gayatri ?
Aditya was lost, he stood on the fork road, the coming sunrise was going to be the most difficult one in his life.